KaTropa gain quarters advantage; Aces enter playoffs

ANTIPOLO, Philippines — With KJ McDaniels delivering big time, Troy Rosario catching fire and Jayson Castro back from injury, the TNT KaTropa rediscovered their old deadly selves and edged troubled San Miguel, 114-109, to punch a quarterfinal advantage in the PBA Governors’ Cup last night at Ynares Center here.

McDaniels banged in 44 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, five blocks and two steals, highlighting his heroics with three booming triples that kept TNT in front and a clutch block on SMB counterpart John Holland’s attempt at a tying trey, to help the KaTropa arrest a three-game skid and take No. 3 seeding with their 8-3 record.

Rosario fired 30 spiked by seven three-pointers with 10 boards while Castro, playing for the first time since suffering a soleus muscle strain last Oct. 25, flirted with a triple-double with 12-9-11.

The Beermen, who played without three players on team-imposed indefinite suspension following a fight in practice –Arwind Santos, Kelly Nabong and Ronald Tubid – missed out on the quarters bonus and settled for No. 5 with 6-5, facing disadvantage against fourth-ranked Ginebra.

Earlier, given an opportunity to advance outright, rejuvenated Alaska got on playoffs mode and played its hearts out in a runaway 106-90 triumph over  NLEX to complete the Last-8 cast and take the No. 7 seed.

By toppling the Road Warriors (8-3), the Aces cleared their path to the quarters, avoiding having to go through a rubbermatch for the eighth and last seat against Columbian Dyip (4-7). They wound up tied with NorthPort for seventh and eighth at 5-6 but got the higher ranking via the winner-over-the-other rule.

Notes: The SMB management stressed they’re not tolerating “unsportsmanlike behavior” in imposing sanctions on erring players. “Basketball is a physical game where emotions can run high, but we believe that PBA players have to be held to a higher standard of professionalism and sportsmanship at all times,” the team said. “It is for this reason that we’ve come to this decision, even if it impacts our bid for a second franchise grand slam.” Dez Wells will no longer be reactivated from the injured list.